A three-dimensional model was developed in order to simulate heat and fluid flow of a continuous casting billet. The model was coded with the general-purpose CFD program FIDAP, using the finite element method. The present model consists of 2 individual calculation schemes, named model 1 and model 2. Mold region only was calculated to check the pouring stream through submerged nozzle with model 1. Entire region, which consists of mold, secondary cooling, radiation cooling was calculated to predict crater end position, temperature profile and solid shell profile(model 2). Standard $k-{\bullet}\hat{A}$ turbulence model has been applied to simulate the turbulent flow induced by submerged nozzle. Enthalpy method was adopted for the latent heat of solidification. Fluid flow in mushy zone was treated using variable viscosity approach. The more casting speed and superheat increased, the more metallurgical length increased. The shell thickness at the mold exit is proved to be mainly controlled by superheat by the present simulation. It may be concluded that the present model can be successfully applied far the prediction of heat and fluid flow behavior in the continuous casting process.

The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of SiC particle size(50, 100 ${\mu}m$) and additional elements such as Si, Cu and Ti on aging behavior in Al-5Mg-X(Si,Cu,Ti)/SiCp composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration method using hardness and wear test, scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). The peak aging time in Al-5Mg-X(Si, Cu, Ti)/SiCp(50, 100 ${\mu}m$) composites is shorter than Al-5Mg-0.3Si alloy.The peak aging time of 50 ${\mu}m$ SiC particle reinforced Al-5Mg-X(Si,Cu,Ti) composites is shorter than those of 100 ${\mu}m$ SiC particle reinforced of Al-5Mg-X(Si,Cu,Ti) composites. The Al-5Mg-0.3Si-0.1Cu-0.1Ti/SiCp(50 ${\mu}m$) composites aged at $180^{\circ}C$ has higher hardness and better wear resistance than any other aged composite.The aging effect is promoted by the addition of Si and Cu in Al-5Mg/SiCp composites, so the wear resistance of Al-5Mg/SiCp composites with Si and Cu elements is enhanced by the aging treatment.

The effects of additional elements on the mechanical properties of HSLA cast steels such as hardness, tensile strength and charily impact energy have been investigated. Test results showed the mechanical properties of HSLA cast steels were superior to those of C-Mn cast steels. In case of the HSLA cast steels, HSLA cast steels with all addition of Nb, V, and Ti had more excellent tensile strength than those with individual addition of Nb, V, or Ti. The tensile strengths of HSLA cast steels were increased as the Mo contents were increased from 0.25% to 0.5%. These are attributed to the solution hardening and the change of the precipitation kinetics of NbC due to increased Mo contents. The tensile strength of HSLA cast steel was remarkablely increased as the manganese contents were increased from 0.65% to 1.2% and 1.5%, respectively. However, the optimum composition of HSLA cast steels to obtain the best compromise between tensile strength and charily impact energy compared to C-Mn cast steel was the additions of0.1% C and 1.2% Mn.

Effect of surface roughness and microstructure of the specimen on tensile properties of Ni-Al bronze casting has been investigated. surface roughnesses of the tensile test specimen of interest are in range of 0.1 to 2.0 ${\mu}m$ in Ra obtained by changing machining conditions. Fracture of the Ni-Al bronze casting initiated at the surface and propagated in a brittle manner during tensile tests. Tensile elongation value of the casting was strongly dependent on the surface roughness range studied, while tensile and yield strengths were almost independent on it. The elongation value was almost constant up to the surface roughness of 1.0 ${\mu}m$ in Ra, and then decreased in a linear manner with an increase in Ra value up to 2.0 ${\mu}m$. However, tensile strength and hardness were strongly dependent on the microstructure, especially ${\alpha}$ phase fraction, and were decreased with increasing ${\alpha}$ phase fraction in microstructure. It is, therefore, recommended that decrease of surface roughness up to 1.0 ${\mu}m$ in Ra, shrinkage porosity and ${\alpha}$ phase are required in order to obtain good tensile properties for Ni-Al bronze casting.

The HSS consists of hard carbide and matrix of martensite, and so its characteristics of wear resistance, fracture resistance, and surface roughness are good. This study was undertaken to investigate the influence of Nb and V and manufacturing conditions on microstructural behaviors and characteristics in the HSS cylindrical specimens(90 $mm^{O.D.}$ ${\times}$ 60 $mm^{I.D.}$ ${\times}$ 50 $mm^H$) manufactured using VCC(Vertical Centrifugal Casting). In the specimen of Fe-2C-6Cr-1.5W-3Mo-4V alloy, the amount of MC carbide was increased and $M_7C_3$ carbide was decreased with the increase of V and Nb contents. The primary VC carbide was formed and followed by the rod-type eutectic MC carbide was formed in the cell boundary in 9%V added specimen. MC carbide was increased, and $M_7C_3$ carbide was decreased with the addition of Nb content. In the specimen containing more than 3%Nb, primary NbC carbide was formed within the cell of matrix. With increase in rpm, cell and carbides became fine, and amount of carbide $M_7C_3$ was decreased due to increase in cooling rate.

Functional metal prototypes are often required in numerous industrial applications. These components are typically needed in the early stage of a project to determine form, fit and function. Recent R/P(Rapid Prototyping) part are made of soft materials such as plastics, wax, paper, these master models cannot be employed durable test in real harsh working environment. Parts by direct metal rapid tooling method, such as laser sintering, by now are hard to get net shape, pores of the green parts of powder casting method must be infiltrated to get proper strength as tool, and new type of 3D direct tooling system combining fabrication welding arc and cutting process is reported. But a system which can build directly 3D parts of high performance functional material as metal park would get long period of system development, massive investment and other serious obstacles, such as patent. In this paper, through the rapid tooling process as silicon rubber molding using R/P master model, and fabricate wax pattern in that silicon rubber mold using vacuum casting method, then we translated the wax patterns to numerous metal tool prototypes by new investment casting process combined conventional investment casting with rapid prototyping & rapid tooling process. With this wax-injection-mold-free investment casting, we developed new investment casting process of fabricating numerous functional metal prototypes from one master model, combined 3-D CAD, R/P and conventional investment casting and tried to expect net shape measuring total dimension shrinkage from R/P pare to metal part.

The effects of casting variables and alloying elements on the fluidity of thin wall cast stainless steels were investigated. Melts were poured into the sand molds to produce thin wall test castings. The length of it was 245 mm and the thickness varied at the interval of 0.5 in the range of 1.6 to 2.6 mm. For the same casting condition, the fluidities of austenitic stainless steel, ferritic, precipitation hardenable and martensite ones were better in the order. The higher the pouring temperature, the shorter the pouring rate and the better the fluidity were. The fluidity was increased with the addition of Cr and decreased with W and Nb.

In order to find out the casting conditions of the thin wall stainless steel exhaust manifold for automobile, the melt flow and solidification behavior simulated by the Z-CAST program were evaluated, and experimental casting result on the test casting and exhaust manifold of SSC13 alloy were investigated. From the results of this study, it was shown that the calculated results on fluid flow were in good agreement with practical thin wall test castings under the same casting conditions, as pouring metal is austenitic stainless steel(SSC13) and pouring temperature is 1575, 1630, and $1665^{\circ}C$ respectively. That calculated result with designed thin wall exhaust manifold was predicted filling up into the mold cavity, and practical casting was sound. The solidification simulation was predicted shrinkages at the bosses for original exhaust manifold, and designed it without bosses was predicted no defect. Therefore practical exhaust manifold casting was sound and in good agreement with calculated solidification results.